Ne-Yo is loving his country music era.
The three-time Grammy award winner recently announced that he is hard at work on a country album.
Appearing on the Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Ne-Yo said he was aware of the negative on the scene when it comes to embracing Black artists.
“It came with all these warnings,” Ne-Yo explained. “And all this fear that people were trying to put on me. ‘They’re not really accepting of anything outside of what they do over there. It’s cliquey, and if you don’t know this person or haven’t done this…’ I hate to admit it, but I came out here kind of expecting something like that.”
But Ne-Yo’s experience in “Music City” has been the complete opposite.
“Every single person I’ve worked with out here has embraced what I’m trying to do with open arms,” he said.
“Everybody’s interested and intrigued about how I’m going to take what I do and what country music is and fuse them together. And everybody’s just been really receptive,” Ne-You continued. “So I’m waiting to meet whoever the hell it is that is going to be the bane of my Nashville experience,” he continued.
NE-YO’S IS INSPIRED BY SEVERAL COUNTRY ARTISTS
As he enters the country music genre, Ne-Yo says he was inspired by the legendary Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, and Clint Black.
“I just fell in love with the storytelling elements of it. And I fell in love with the cleverness of the lyric,” said Ne-Yo. “The vulnerability of the lyric, like Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene.’”
He added. “That’s such a human song. You know what I mean? It’s not about the stroke of the ego, which is kind of what a lot of music is today.” “She’s literally begging another woman not to steal her man.”
In September 2025, Ne-Yo spoke to The Tennessean about his vision for a country-influenced album.
“I’m not a country artist,” Ne-Yo said. “Given that this is my first official attempt at trying to naturally transition into creating something in the country lane, it’s disrespectful to call myself a country artist. My music, more than anything, is country-inspired.”